Perhaps no player, maybe Jeren Kendall from Vanderbilt, in the draft class has better physical tools than Jordon Adell. Adell is a long and lanky athlete who is still growing into his body, so there is a lot of projection of his physical tools as he fills out and matures. Compared to the other prospects that are Top 10 or borderline top 10, Adell has a very raw swing and there’s a lot of work that needs to go into making it consistent once he goes pro.
Hit: Because Adell is long and lanky, that translates into his swing which is why it’s inconsistent. When you look at his swings in batting practice, it’s the type of swing you want to teach a young hitter. Once he steps on the field, the swing isn’t the same. Unfortunately, fixing that swing adds development time that you really don’t want to add onto a player as gifted as Adell is. When he does go Pro, the swing needs to get more compact and a more consistent path to the baseball. Grade: 40/55
Power: It’s difficult to truly measure power in his bat due to the very inconsistent hit tool. His length is an asset in this area because that gives him better leverage when he lifts the ball. His floor is 15 homers, but could easily jump to 20+ once the swing is more consistent. His speed gives him chances to turn singles for most hitters into doubles. Grade: 50/65
Speed: Adell is one of the fastest prospects in the draft and that gives him a higher ceiling with his hitting tool once he can fix the swing. Adell ran the 60-yard dash in 6.19 seconds and it shows up on the bases and in the field. Grade: 75
Defense: Adell’s defense profiles great for center field with a plus-plus arm on the mound and in the field. His speed gives him a lot of range in center and can easily cover the outfield in any park on fly balls. If the bat becomes consistent enough to get him to an every day level in the majors, his glove will be a great asset to a ball club. Grade: 55/65
There is a lot to like about Adell and there is a lot left to be desired. The Diamondbacks should look elsewhere with the 7th pick because they need a surer thing vs. Adell whose swing is a project right now. There certainly is a lot of projection in his raw tools as he adds strength. In the top 15 on my draft board, Adell presents the highest chance to not reach his ceiling of all the prospects and there is a good chance he slips into the teens, maybe the 20s. His upside is right up there with any player in the draft, but it’s going to require a lot of time and patience for the organization that drafts him.
Upside: A
Risk: C
Grade: B